


what a catch

by mandsnuds



Series: yaku brain go brrr [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Bickering, Enemies to Lovers, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Rivalry, M/M, Quidditch, hinted kenhina, rated t pretty much for their dirty mouths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:11:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26170159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandsnuds/pseuds/mandsnuds
Summary: “It’s been nice and all but some of us actually practice to mantain their title as reigning champions.”, Yaku's smile was the most cynical he could muster.“We’ll see about that!”, Kuroo yelled back as Yaku flew away, his laugh echoing in the afternoon, snitch in hand.or how Kuroo charmed a snitch and a gryffindor.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Yaku Morisuke
Series: yaku brain go brrr [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900444
Comments: 25
Kudos: 109





	what a catch

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this fic was inspired by [@stiirped's beautiful fanart](https://twitter.com/stiirped/status/1294511180615213056?s=20). i highly recommend checking it out before reading!

The wind was cold up in the air. It didn’t phase him though. Yaku liked height, enjoyed being 10 feet high riding his broom. It felt liberating in some way. No one was too tall or too short to play quidditch. It was one of the few sports he knew — muggle ones included — where height didn’t matter in the slightest. As long as you were quick enough and had good reflexes, you could be the best.

The ball’s chest rattled on the ground, ready to be set free. Suddenly Yaku was all too aware of his surroudings. The other players were ready to go and he was not going to get caught in the middle of excitable gryffindors (mostly Bokuto and Hinata) fighting for the quaffle. Yaku went a few feet higher in the air, still focused on the rumbling chest. Daichi stood next to it, yelling at them to get ready. He opened the lock and the bludgers flew up instantly. Not that he cared though. The quaffle was thrown, but Yaku only had eyes for the tiny speck of gold zooming through the air. It was easy to miss, some small golden ball bolting across the sky. He also had to stay out of the way of beaters, bludgers, chasers and the quaffle. Yaku got used to it long ago and now had enough experience to focus on the field, chasing any sign of the golden snitch.

Bokuto was ruthless as ever, strong arms throwing the ball with enough force to make the keeper flinch. It was always fun to watch their third year keeper whine and moan about how someday the quaffle would fly past him and the wind would be enough to knock him off his broom. Yaku chuckled as the boy managed to touch the quaffle thrown by Bokuto with only one hand, making at least it change its course and not score any points. His whine echoed on the pitch. _Well, he was getting better after all, wasn’t he?_

A small flicker of light caught his eye. Yaku acted without second thought. He knew that if he stopped to think about it, the snitch would be lost again and Merlin knew how long it would take him to find it again. He zoomed past the game as the tiny ball circled the stands, now empty save for a few curious students.

Perhaps it was due to his fast broom or his quick reflexes, but Yaku was a great seeker. Gryffindor won the championship last year and Yaku was pretty proud of himself for catching the snitch on their last game, which just happened to be against Slytherin. Yaku was a fine player and he was well aware of that. Catching the snitch in the middle of practice was easier than any game. They weren’t depending on how fast he could be. There was also the fact that Yaku was against Inuoka, a cheerful third year, but still lacking in speed. However, he was a fast learner and had great potential.

Inuoka trailed behind him, getting further by the second. The snitch gave one more lap around the pitch and Yaku could almost feel his hand close against the cold metal. Suddenly, the ball was dropping quickly, completely changing its course. It flew right past the stands and Yaku didn’t hesitate in following it, even if it was quite unusual for a snitch to leave the Quidditch pitch’s grounds.

It flew higher, past patios and corridors. At some point it circled the Gryffindor Tower, as if to mock him. Even if Yaku was focused enough to chase the snitch, he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell was happening. It wandered for a bit, circling towers. It got dangerously close to one of the higher up bridge’s corridors. Yaku almost fell off his broom as he came to a sudden halt. The reason was truly astounding. The snitch slowly wandered over to a boy casually leaning over the window’s ledge. He caught it in his hand as the ball seemed to quiet down instantly. The boy had an infuriating smug grin and Yaku would be damned if he didn’t want to punch it right off his face.

Of course he knew the owner of said smirk. Yaku was a quidditch player, which meant he was acquainted with most people in each team. He was able to at least connect the names to their owners and that was enough most of the time. That wasn’t the case. Yaku knew the other boy not only because he was Slytherin’s keeper — one that gave Gryffindor’s chasers hell every single match — but also because they were in the same year. They shared a couple of classes and had a some friends in common. However, the few times they had to spend time together ended catastrophically.

Said boy was named Kuroo Tetsurou and eleven year old Yaku wanted nothing more than hex the living hell out of him — even if at the time he barely knew how to even use Alohomora. They were opposites in every way. While eleven year old Yaku was strict and didn’t joke around much, Kuroo was laid-back and took every opportunity to crack jokes that most of the time only he understood. Even when it came to simple tastes. Yaku liked eating meat, while Kuroo prefered fish. Kuroo liked dogs, while Yaku prefered cats. The list went on and everytime they didn’t agree on something they would bicker, much to their friends’ dismay.

Those were rare occasions that became much more scarce as they grew up. Both of them made other friends. Still their rivarly on the pitch remained. Their respective teams knew something was going on but were too afraid to ask them about it.

So if the sight of a smug Kuroo made Yaku want to roll his eyes so hard they fell off, it was completely comprehensible.

“Give it back.”, Yaku sighed, extending his hand.

“Aw but it seems to like me?”, Kuroo pouted, petting the damn thing on his hands. “It did fly all this way to meet me.”

“It’s not a pet, Kuroo. It’s a snitch and I need that for practice.”, the seeker made a grabbing motion with his hands, his broom slowly drifting closer to the ledge Kuroo was leaning over.

“It could be a pet. I think it likes me even more than Kenma’s cat.”, Kuroo pondered, one finger over his lips as if he was in deep thought. Yaku took advantage of the situation, quickly motioning to grab the snitch. The problem was that Kuroo was also fast and had the upper hand since he was standing on the ground while Yaku was high up in the air. The slytherin quickly took the snitch away from the other’s reach.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Just give it back.”, Yaku snarled, clearly annoyed now. Kuroo seemed delighted by that turn of events, as if his smug grin was any indication.

“Fine. You know how kind and giving I am.”, he winked and Yaku was so close to grabbing him by the collar and letting him fall to the ground down bellow. It would be a well-deserved death. However, Kuroo merely extended his hand and was kind enough to give the snitch back.

“Thank you”, Yaku grimaced, not thankful in the least.

“You’re welcome, Yaku-senpai.”, Kuroo smiled calmly but Yaku knew how pleased with himself he was.

The bastard kept smiling even as Yaku flew away, he just knew it even without looking back.

Lucky for Kuroo, Daichi wasn’t to pissed, only mildly curious as to why a snitch would wander off like that. Hinata and Bokuto fussed over the golden ball, as if to search for any abnormalities that would explain its unusual behavior. They were bummed when nothing was found. Yaku remained suspicious but waved it off, secretly thankful for not having to get an earful from their capitain. Kuroo would be dead if that happened.

The next time the snitch started to get too far from the pitch, Yaku knew where it would be going. Well, not exactly where, but to whom. Surprisingly enough, it didn’t go to the same bridge as before. The snitch went higher up, to one of the windows near the Ravenclaw Tower. This time it didn’t fly straight to Kuroo’s hand, it hovered above the pair as if it was pleased to unite them again.

Kuroo looked like a cat that got its prey, grinning from ear to ear. Yaku once again wanted to smash his face.

“Seriously, Kuroo?”, Yaku groaned, clearly annoyed. Kuroo remained unbothered, draped over the ledge, head resting on his hand.

“I told you it liked me.”, the slytherin shrugged.

“Yeah, because snitches are capable of such feelings.”, Yaku could already feel a headache forming.

“Who knows? Maybe _you_ like me and now you’re trying to blame the poor thing.”, Kuroo tilted his head, as if he was watching Yaku’s every movement.

“Why would I ever do that?”, Yaku sounded exasperated. “You’re insufferable.”

“It’s a shame your snitch doesn’t share the same opinion.”

Yaku slowly got closer to the window, suddenly grabbing the snitch. He grinned at the other boy, finally satisfied with the turn of events. Kuroo blinked at him, as if he wasn’t expecting it and that reaction alone was enough for his grin to widen.

“It’s been nice and all but some of us actually practice to mantain their title as reigning champions.”, his smile was the most cynical he could muster.

“We’ll see about that!”, Kuroo yelled back as Yaku flew away, his laugh echoing in the afternoon, snitch in hand.

“And I have no idea how he does that! How does he even have our training schedules? It’s not common knowledge, we’re always changing the dates.”, Yaku rubbed his fingers on his temple.

“Knight to C6”, Kenma sounded tired as his knight took Yaku’s queen. The latter didn’t seem bothered in the least, way to engrossed in his complaints.

“Maybe he got it from Bokuto? It sounds legit, right? I mean, him and Kuroo are pretty good friends...”, he tapped his forefinger on his lips.

“I don’t think Bokuto’s the best reference when it comes to schedules.”, Kenma offered. He was clearly doing his best to appease his friend.

“Ugh, you’re right”, Yaku ran a hand through his hair, not satisfied at all.

The thing about Yaku’s complaints wasn’t that Kenma didn’t like to hear his friends’ worries. The problem was that Kenma spent the majority of his free time with Kuroo. Since the latter didn’t like chess all that much, Kenma eventually became friends with some other chess players. Mostly he played with Yaku and Akaashi. It was peaceful enough to unwind after a stressful day.

 _Was_.

As soon as Kuroo begun charming the snitch to come after him at every single Gryffindor practice, Kenma quickly became Yaku’s confidant. He went on and on about how annoying it was to chase after the damn thing only to be led to wherever Kuroo was that day. _He’s doing that to throw us off balance_ , Yaku liked to repeat that a lot. He was half right. Sure, it begun as a prank not only to Gryffindor but also to Yaku. It was _supposed_ to be a prank.

By the seventh time it happened, Kenma doubted it still was. It became a game to them. Push-and-pull, how annoyed could one get the other. Kenma knew that even if Yaku would rather die than admit it, he secretly enjoyed those detours. He also knew Kuroo enough to see that it had also become personal for him, even if those encounters were mostly them bickering until Yaku reached for the snitch and flew away.

“I swear if we lose to Hufflepuff because I lacked training, I’m gonna skin him alive.”, Yaku grumbled. They both knew that the chances were pretty slim.

“Can’t blame you.”, Kenma shrugged, vaguely gesturing towards the board as if to remind Yaku that they were still playing.

“Oh right, sorry.”, he blinked and started to consider his movements. “Pawn to C6”, and he took Kenma’s knight.

Kenma couldn’t contain the small smile on his face as Yaku fell right into his trap. It would be an epic win.

“I fucked up, didn’t I?”, Yaku sighed, smiling back at the other. Lately their games had been coming to endings much similar to this one. Basically Yaku being obliterated on the board. Another thing he could blame on Kuroo.

“You did.”, Kenma’s smile widened as Yaku’s impending doom came.

The stands were packed, brightly colored on both sides, red and gold clashing with yellow and grey. Game days were always fun, specially when Kuroo could enjoy them on the sidelines, not having to worry about winning or losing. It was specially fun when Gryffindor was playing. Bokuto was good, excitement and strenght radiating off of him in waves. It was contagious. Even if Kuroo would rather die than be caught cheering for Gryffindor as a whole, he would never miss a chance to cheer for one of his best friends.

Staying on Gryffindor’s side of the pitch wasn’t new to him. Bokuto deserved it, even if Kuroo stayed with his Slytherin scarf the whole time. Bros were bros, but house pride was also important to him. It had been like that for quite some time.

However, this time he decided to change things up. Why not go the extra mile for his friend (exclusively for him, of course)? With the help of an unwilling Kenma, Kuroo managed to get one of Gryffindor’s scarfs (Hinata’s to be exact since he was the only one willing to lend it to him – honestly there wasn’t anything the boy wouldn’t do if Kenma asked), which was currently wrapped around his neck. He also stood in the first row, arms resting on the ledge.

Gryffindor was thriving. Not only Bokuto was on a good day, but also Hinata and when combined, they could be a destructive force even to Hufflepuff’s excellent defensive skills —Ushijima and Aone alone were quite the trouble, but together they were a force to be reckoned with. Komori looked tired going from post to post trying to reach Bokuto’s throws. Had he not been an outstanding keeper, Hufflepuff would be in some deep trouble.

Above the match stood both seekers: Yaku and Shibayama. Kuroo’s gaze was drawn to them, even if the game bellow was far from boring. Shibayama looked antsy, eyes going from one spot to another, as if trying to guess where the snitch would appear. He was only a third year going against one of Hogwarts’ best seekers. Hell, Kuroo would be nervous if he had to get that snitch before Yaku.

Said gryffindor seemed relaxed to the unexperienced eye. However, Kuroo could see how the boy stood on edge, ready to bolt at the first glimmer of gold. It was incredibly entertaining to watch. His gaze scanned the field sistematically, not focusing on one spot, but rather on the pitch as a whole so that not a single spot would go unseen.

The sudden cheers around Kuroo almost startled him to death. With his heart still pounding on his chest, Bokuto flew past him, fist in the air.

“Hey hey hey!”, he roared and the crowd went wild. Kuroo clapped, not fully recovered from the scare. He could pratically feel Kenma snickering beside him. Kuroo decided not to humor his friend with a reply. He couldn’t help the warmth on his cheeks though.

Apparently the seconds it took for Kuroo to look away were enough for the snitch to be found. He barely missed Yaku bolting to the golden ball, Shibayama hot on his tail. Suddenly the crowd went quiet, nervous that whoever caught the snitch would define the game’s fate. Kuroo chewed on his lip, trying not to look as tense as the others around him. He wasn’t even a gryffindor to begin with, there was no reason for him to be nervous. There was also the fact that he came to cheer for his friend, not for Yaku.

The latter zoomed past in an istant, arm extended towards the snitch. It would be over soon enough, they all knew it. Shibayama was fine, the poor guy, but Yaku had more experience and that alone seemed to put miles between them.

As soon as Yaku’s fingers closed around the snitch, the boy came to a halt. He held the snitch above his head for the whole crowd to see. Gryffindor went wild as the referee whistled, announcing the end of the match.

If Kuroo cheered along with the crowd it was only because happiness was contagious, not because he was cheering for the seeker too.

It was the first time he actually saw a genuine smile on Yaku’s lips. It wasn’t an evil smirk or a smug grin like Kuroo got used to seeing whenever they spoke. It was pure happiness. He did a good job and was proud of it, as he should be. And he looked much less intimidating that way. Completely different from the angry, snarky boy Kuroo knew. Truth to be told, it was a pretty look on him. Perhaps if Yaku smiled more like that he wouldn’t be so goddamn annoying.

But, well, it wouldn’t be half as fun.

It was exhausting. Well, Kuroo was usually tiring, nothing Kenma couldn’t handle. He talked a lot and never took Kenma’s silence as a sign of uninterest. As the years passed, they begun to understand each other better than any other person. It was comforting to say the least. They had a strong bond and Kenma truly loved him.

Except when he was clearly crushing. You see, Kuroo was definitely one of the brightest students in his year. He was smart and a quick learner, which made the teachers adore him. He was also an amazing keeper and could be really friendly, which made him extremely likeable to almost anyone. Kenma could relate to the hype, even as he saw Kuroo as nothing other than just Kuroo, his childhood friend.

Perhaps it came from a decade of friendship, but Kuroo was like an open book to him. Kenma knew how he felt and that could be amusing at times.

It was especially amusing when it came to Yaku.

Being liked by many people, Kuroo was not used to being turned down so harshly. It was funny watching them bicker throughout the years. It was one of the rare moments Kuroo lost his composure as a nice guy and model student. Yaku was one of the few people that brought out this side of him. They argued and bickered, even if it was never too harsh. Kenma knew a lot about games and could clearly recognize one when he saw it.

It was an interesting game, one he was certain he would never be able to play himself — it seemed to tiring. There were only two players and the goal was clear: who could make the other lose their mind first. They pushed and prodded, happy to pick on things that would get under the other’s skin. It was never really harmful though, and at some point Kenma understood the hidden object of the game: to finally find someone who would give as much as they could take.

However, it was not amusing anymore.

Since Kuroo began with the “prank” — at least that’s what he called — things had shifted quickly. He could feel that both parts actually looked forward to their meetings, even if they would never admit it. They spent hours blabbering to Kenma about each other, making remarks at little things one had to be paying attention to notice.

“Yaku’s late for breakfast, huh?”, Kuroo snickered as he munched on a toast.

“Maybe he slept in.”, Kenma shrugged, trying to eat all of the ridiculous amount of food on his plate.

“You know he never does that.”, Kuroo rolled his eyes, happily engrossed on his food.

“How do _you_ know that, Kuro?”, Kenma questioned as a matter of fact.

“What do you mean?”, the slytherin furrowed his brow, genuinely confused.

“There are at least a thousand students on this castle. I know your sleeping schedule because we’ve been friends for years and you go to bed early like an old lady.”

“You also know Hinata’s schedule, don’t even try to deny it.”, Kuroo grinned, clearly trying to change the subject.

“And why is that, I wonder.”, Kenma’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps it’s the same with you two.”

The look on Kuroo’s face was something Kenma would treasure forever. Never in his life had he seen such and outraged look. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. Kenma got him good.

Even if Kuroo was too stubborn to accept the truth now, there was something different to consider. That alone would eat him alive while he couldn’t decypher what was going on. Kenma just hoped it wouldn’t take him too long to realize it.

“Let’s eat them alive”, the evil grin on Oikawa’s face was downright scary, but somehow Kuroo had grown used to it. It was reserved for difficult matches, specially when they were up against Gryffindor. Even if the rivalry between the two houses had toned down over the centuries, it was still present on the field. Matches between them gathered the entire school, even if they were not cheering for one team or another. The fierce competition was enough.

The Slytherin quidditch team took flight while the green and silver stands roared. They seemed to be filled to the brim, bustling with life and color. It was contagious and Kuroo couldn’t help but feel the adrenaline kicking in. He took his position near the posts as the Gryffindor team entered the pitch.

Always the extravagant bunch, they flew around their own stands and Kuroo could pratically hear Bokuto yelling back at the crowd. His friend was a force to be reckoned with, in and out of the field. The thought of having to catch his fierce hits was terrifying at first, but became less frightening after Kuroo discovered that his arms wouldn’t fall off, they would just be bruised for the next week.

“Kuroo!”, Bokuto stopped right in front of him. He was smirking in a way he reserved for games. Games against Kuroo. It was a strong attack versus a smart defense. It would be interesting.

“Hope you’re ready!”, Bokuto teased without any real bite. Truth was he was just excited, happy to play against a strong oponnent.

“I’m always ready for you!”, Kuroo yelled back, wiggling his eyebrows. Bokuto laughed, flying away to get to his place.

Gryffindor was almost in their spots. Kuroo let his eyes wander as he cracked his knuckles. He spotted their seekers a few meters higher than the rest. Kageyama looked serious as he always did before a match. Even if he was a third year, his potential and skills were frightening to say the least. Even experienced seekers had trouble competing with his raw talent.

There was also Yaku, who was surprisingly looking at his direction. Their eyes met and neither of them backed down. Yaku looked proud, chin lifted up even at the prospect of going against the slytherin prodigy. “ _You’re dead_ ”, Kuroo mouthed to him.

At that Yaku snorted, rolling his eyes at the keeper. He shrugged, not bothered by the teasing. It was a silent message: _we’ll see_.

A few moments later, the whistle was blown, echoing throughout the field, and the quaffle was thrown. Gryffindor was quick enough to get to it first. Hinata and Tanaka passed around the quaffle, even as Goshiki and Oikawa were catching up, getting close enough to almost steal the ball. Suddenly the quaffle was in Bokuto’s hands and Kuroo tensed, ready to boost to whatever direction needed.

It was lightining quick. Bokuto was strong, large shoulders and arms built after years of exercise. Getting whatever he threw was a difficult task but Kuroo was fast. He zoomed torwards the right post, hand outstreched to reach the ball. It collided with a loud thump and the crowds went wild. A pretty solid defense if you asked him. Bokuto grimaced, which earned him a teasing smile from Kuroo.

The game wasn’t easy for neither of the teams. Gryffindor’s offense was pretty strong and Kuroo could only count on his teammates to help him throw the other team off balance. The beaters were doing an excellent job and at some point a perfectly timed play was interrupted by Atsumu’s accurate hit on the bludger. Kuroo could only grin.

It took more time than usual for the snitch to be found. Perhaps the game was too chaotic and left little to no room for the seekers to roam freely. Maybe they were just on edge at the prospect of facing each other. Kuroo didn’t see who moved first. He had to keep an eye on the game, any second wasted could be fatal, specially as they had only 20 points over Gryffindor. His peripheral vision acknowledged the seekers zooming past and his gut twisted in excitement. The game would be decided soon enoough.

Or so he thought. The quaffle kept being passed around and points were being scored by each side. It was getting progressively harder to mantain the advantage over Gryffindor. Kuroo could only hope Kageyama would do his job.

Even the crowd seemed tense, well timed _‘ooh’s_ and _‘aah’s_ after every time the snitch escaped the seekers’ clutches. Oikawa scored a point for them and Kuroo sighed a bit more relieved. The green and silver crowd went wild. Their advantage had grown a bit, which was a relief, even if it didn’t mean they could loosen up now. It would take one slip for Gryffindor to take the lead again.

Suddenly the crowd roared, deafening. Red and gold seemed to have lost their minds and it didn’t take much for Kuroo to realize what happened. His eyes scanned the field, quickly finding who he was looking for.

Yaku descended a bit, now at level with the other players. Bokuto and Hinata looked over the moon, ready to tackle their seeker to the ground. Daichi went to him, clasping a happy hand on his shoulder. The snitch finally looked peaceful as it rested on the firm clutch of the seeker. Yaku should be ecstatic.

Well, he was. What was completely unexpected was that after he reached down to greet the other players, his eyes never left the Slytherin keeper. He had a smug grin on his lips, while his eyes seemed to glow in pride. Kuroo gladly took the blow to his ego (it was a sight to behold after all). He held his hands up in the air, in mock surrender. Yaku rolled his eyes, but not in the way he usually did whenever Kuroo teased him. It was fond, softer than usual. Like an inside joke between them and the slytherin’s stomach fluttered at the thought.

Well, fuck if Kenma wasn’t completely right.

After their latest game with Slytherin, the spirits on the Gryffindor quidditch team were pretty high. Bokuto and Hinata were sizziling with excitement and even Daichi seemed softer than usual. Their practices for the week were good, better than ever and Yaku couldn’t help but be proud of his team.

He was also glad that _his_ training went back to normal. Kuroo seemed to have grown tired of charming the snitch and Yaku could now practice without having to fly around the castle like a madman. He was truly glad.

He was, wasn’t he? It should be great getting back to normal while the team was in high spirits. They could improve a lot more than before because everyone was focused enough. Still, it felt a bit empty. Perhaps Yaku had grown too used to his little trips around the castle. He had to admit it was a nice getaway from practice, even if said getaway was bantering with Kuroo.

People said the first stage of dealing with a problem was to indentify that you had one to begin with. It took him a while — and a few blunt remarks from Kenma — but at some point Yaku admitted to himself that he actually enjoyed whatever the hell him and Kuroo had going on. Yes, Kuroo made him lose his temper with a single sentence and made terrible jokes no one laughed at — maybe they were a bit funny, but the slytherin definitely didn’t need a boost on his ego. But also Kuroo was the first person in Hogwarts that didn’t back down from his blunt and sometimes harsh words. No, Kuroo took it all in and replied with just as much bite. It was a push and pull game that made his heart race and his blood boil and it took him some time to finally understand that perhaps Yaku liked their dynamic.

So yes, getting back to practice was nice, but he couldn’t deny he missed their encounters.

A flicker of gold down by the stands caught his eye even as he was immersed in thought. Yaku acted before his mind could properly comprehend what was going on, pure instinct kicking in.

It didn’t take as long as usual for the snitch to change its course. By now Yaku could identify whenever the snitch had been bewitched and started to act up. And as it flew far away from the pitch, Yaku knew exactly what was going on. He felt anticipation deep in his bones.

It flew higher than usual, much higher. It was far from any spot they had been before in their detours and Yaku began to wonder what was going on. The snitch didn’t stop until they reached the highest tower in Hogwarts. Kuroo was there, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge, a thoughtful look on his face.

“This is new.”, Yaku pointed, definitely not used to seeing Kuroo like that.

“I thought the change would be nice.”, he smiled, which turned into a playful grin. “You know, since you’re too tiny to see the world from above.”

“Fuck you”, Yaku flipped him off. “I can’t believe you took me to the Astronomy Tower just to mock my height.”

“Ah well, the view’s pretty nice too.”, Kuroo shrugged. “I can almost hear Bokuto and Hinata from here.”

“You probably could.”, Yaku chuckled. The mood around them had shifted since their last interaction, which happened to be before their match. “They’re really hyped today”, he concluded.

“They should be. Gryffindor winning over us is definitely something new”, Kuroo teased, but even that seemed without the usual bite. It bugged Yaku to no end.

He decided to change things up. For the first time since their meetings began, Yaku got off from his broom, leaving it leaning against the wall. Kuroo didn’t budge, no reaction whatsoever. It was different from the person Yaku knew.

The gryffindor joined the other boy on the edge, letting his legs also dangle.

“It was a tough match.”, Yaku admitted. “Kageyama is really good. Like scary good. I’m glad I won’t have to deal with him like three years from now.”

“I also wanted to make Atsumu eat that goddamn bludger, but I don’t think that’s because of the game.”, Yaku continued as Kuroo remained silent, trying his best to lighten the mood. It did earn a chuckle from the slytherin, so something must have been done right.

“The defense was passable.”, he teased once more, trying to get a reaction.

“Oh yeah?”, Kuroo raised his brow. “I do think we were winning before mister demon seeker got that goddamn snitch.”

“Were you?”, Yaku tapped his pointer finger on his lips, feigning ignorance. “Nope, I don’t remember it. We were definitely winning already. Like a hundred points ahead of you.”

It earned a playful shove from Kuroo and Yaku laughed, the sound echoing around them. The mood had lightened and that lifted a weight off his chest. Yaku didn’t fully comprehend but quiet, deep in thought Kuroo was a look he didn’t like much. He’d rather have their bantering, teasing dynamic.

It was weird how much things had changed. It only had been a month since the prank began. At the beginning, if anyone asked him what he thought of the Slytherin keeper, that person would get an earful of mumbled complaints and annoyed remarks. The change wasn’t sudden either. Yaku had just come to terms with the fact that, yes, maybe he did like to have Kuroo around, even if it messed up his beloved practice. At one time he even heard Daichi muttering something about “flirting outside practice hours”. It made him so flustered, Yaku simply pretended not having listened to it. He just quickly made his way to their locker room.

At that moment, laughing up in the Tower, with Hogwarts at their feet, Yaku finally concluded something important. Maybe, just maybe, he did like Kuroo Tetsurou more than he originally thought.

“Are you like one hundred percent sure of this?”

“You’re not blaming me if this plan of yours goes wrong, Kuro.”, Kenma’s glare was a bit scary. Kuroo was way to anxious to even bother. He only grunted in acknowledgement.

It was perhaps the most risky thing he would ever do in his life, and that’s saying something, specially when it came from someone close to Bokuto. The odds weren’t in his favor, at least he didn’t think they were. Kenma said otherwise. And Kenma was really trustworthy when it came to these matters because he had absolutely no interest in the outcome. He saw things as they were, completely impartial. So if Kenma said he actually stood a chance, he probably did after all.

“Stop fidgeting.”, Kenma muttered as they walked along the corridors leading outside. Kuroo had been picking on his nails for the last minutes, completely lost in thought. The slytherin quickly stopped, shoving his hands on his pockets. Of course he continued fidgeting, but this time Kenma couldn’t complain.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous.”, Kuroo admited as they reached the outside grounds, on their way to the quidditch pitch.

“Well, worst case scenario he’ll tell you to fuck off.”, Kenma shrugged. “Which I don’t think he will.”

“I bet he will, oh god, it’s going to be so embarassing.”, Kuroo sighed rubbing his hand on his face. It was all doomed, why should he even try?

“You’ve done many embarassing things in your life, Kuro. Most of them involved Bokuto.”, Kenma stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “This is most definitely not one of them.”

“You’re getting me a whole bunch of chocolate frogs if this goes wrong.”, Kuroo muttered.

“Whatever. We both know it won’t be needed.”, Kenma rolled his eyes just as they reached the stands on the Gryffindor side.

Kuroo hoped Kenma was once again right.

It was a fairly easy game for Yaku. Perhaps Ravenclaw was still bummed about losing to Hufflepuff on the other game. The team’s spirits weren’t high, not when compared to Gryffindor’s energetic team. He didn’t pay much attention to the game happening bellow him. Finding the snitch was his top priority, even if the score was highly on their favor.

Still, Ravenclaw’s seeker looked more nervous than any other he had encountered before. It was someone new too. Usually Yaku went up against Shimizu, had been for as long as he remembered. They were in the same year and joined their teams around the same time. It was a nice competition and they had always been friendly with each other.

This time, however, a rather small girl was on the broom near his. Yaku knew vaguely who she was (Yachi? He wasn’t sure). Sometimes he saw her around the corridors with Hinata and Kageyama. She was also a third year and this was probably her first game. She looked pale, nervous eyes trying to catch every single corner of the field.

Yaku kind of felt sorry for her. He could empathize with the horrible anxious feeling of your first game. Coming out victorious was a miracle. He messed up a whole bunch on his first game. It was a disaster, but looking back Yaku was proud of how much he had grown. Yachi had a lot of time ahead of her.

Nevertheless they had a game to win. Yaku wouldn’t go light on her. It took him some minutes since the snitch was first spotted for him to fully close his fingers around the golden ball. Yachi did come close too, which was a nice surprise.

The crowd cheered loudly and Yaku felt that sense of pride that always came when they won a game. He held the snitch high as he always did, savoring the claps and screams. His eyes quickly surveyed the crowd. He wasn’t sure what — or who — he was looking for but he didn’t find it. No, of course he wasn’t disappointed at all. After all, why would a slytherin be in the middle of the Gryffindor stands? Absolute non-sense.

After some time the crowd started to disperse and both teams descended to the ground. Usually few people stood there, always the same crowd, willing to congratulate the victorious and cheer up the losers.

“Yaku Morisuke!”, a voice echoed through the crowd.

Yaku’s feet had just touched the ground and he looked up, startled. From the middle of the crowd came a mop of dark bed hair he had come to recognize almost everywhere.

_What the hell did Kuroo think he was doing?_

Some people seemed interested in the exchange, specially his own teammates. Yaku’s confusion must have been clear on his face, because Kuroo came closer, eyes set on him like he had decided something very important and no one in the world could change his mind.

“What are you doing here?”, Yaku frowned even if his mind seemed content to find what he had been searching for just moments ago.

“I’ve decided to make you a proposal.”, his voice had a nervous edge to it that reminded Yaku of their encounter on the Astronomy Tower.

“A _what_?”, Yaku was genuinely confused.

“Just hear me out.”, Kuroo sounded like he might give up if Yaku kept interrupting him.

“I’ll stop charming your snitch.”, at that the gryffindor raised his brows. He would never have expected Kuroo to back down from his shenanigans. “If you go to Hogsmead with me.”

The silence near them was deafening. Yaku could almost feel people holding their breaths. Yaku blinked at the other boy, still confused.

Oh.

_Oh._

It all came rushing in. The reason Kuroo kept on charming the snitch, even after it wasn’t a surprise to Yaku anymore. The way their bickering eventually became an almost normal conversation, just harmless teasing. He also understood Kuroo’s sudden change in behaviour, why he seemed so uneasy at the Astronomy Tower. It all finally made sense.

The smart choice would be to politely decline. Kuroo would probably stop charming the snitch anyway and both of them would keep on with their usual lives. They weren’t exactly friends to begin with, so they would drift apart and life would go on. They bickered way too much and most of the time Yaku wanted to shove a quaffle down Kuroo’s throat. It was smarter to walk away.

However, how boring would his life be without their bickering? Yes, getting in the way of practice was annoying but it also gave Yaku moments that definitely made his whole week better. Kuroo was a challenge. He was snarky and could be a pain in the ass. He also knew exactly which buttons to push to make Yaku lose his calm demeanor. It was infuriating. It was exhilarating.

Yaku had two options: keep his life the way it was before or take a chance.

Kuroo looked like he was about to combust in anticipation. His cheeks were flushed pink and yes, _yes_ , Yaku would take all the chances in the world.

“Meet me at eight on the Common Hall.”, Yaku couldn’t help but grin as his heart felt warm and fuzzy. “Don’t be late or I’ll be going without you.”

It was like everyone finally let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding. Kuroo blinked at him. It took him a few seconds to catch up.

“Oh my god, I thought you were going to kick me out of here.”, he sighed in relief.

“That’s still not out of the question. Don’t test me.”, Yaku said with no real bite to it, a happy smile playing on his lips.

“Aw, you’re so not kicking me out. I can see it in your eyes, Yakkun.”, Kuroo laughed brightly, an arm slung over Yaku’s shoulders.

“I’m _so_ kicking you out.”, Yaku grumbled, but held to the other’s waist as they walked back to the castle.

A few feet away, Kenma sighed, happy that things were finally resolved between his two friends. Soon enough they would be dating and Kenma wouldn’t have to listen to them going on and on about the other.

If only he knew.


End file.
